The singer will pick up the award at a ceremony in Stockholm this May
Iggy Pop has been announced as the recipient of this year’s Polar Music Prize.
The former Stooges frontman and solo icon will pick up the award at a ceremony in Stockholm in Sweden on May 24.
In an official video announcing the winner, the Polar Music Prize hailed Pop as a “one-of-a-kind” artist. “And with his poetic lyrics and provocative stage presence, he is considered the godfather of punk music,” a voiceover added.
Pop said: “I was aware of the very fine range of people that have gotten the Polar Music Prize. Patti Smith… also Metallica, a really great band. And Steve Reich […] and so many others.
“So yeah, it’s a nice step for me. I respect it and I’m honoured by it. I’m looking forward to coming to Stockholm in May to receive the Polar Music Prize.”
Pop was also praised by the Polar Music Prize organisers for paving the way for significant punk and post-punk acts such as Sex Pistols, Ramones, Blondie, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Joy Division and Nick Cave.
You can watch the announcement video in full above.
Launched in 1992, the annual Polar Music Prize honours two Laureates each year. The classical music honouree for 2022 is Ensemble Intercontemporain, a French contemporary ensemble.
“We are delighted to return in 2022, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic, with two incredibly worthy Laureates,” Marie Ledin, managing director of the Polar Music Prize, said. “Iggy Pop is unique, there is no one else quite like him.”
Other previous recipients include the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin and Björk.
Iggy Pop’s latest studio album, ‘Free’, came out back in 2019. In a four-star review, NME described it as “a liberating collection that unshackles the star from his past and his insecurities, and slowly cracks open a door to a version of the future that will inevitably arrive when he’s ready”.
The review added: “Wherever that journey takes him in this phase of his career, it’ll be an honour to witness.”
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